


Argemone

by Whitesinger



Category: iKON (Korea Band)
Genre: Bromance, Canon Compliant, Friends to Lovers, Hanahaki Disease, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor iKON Ensemble, Prank Wars, bobdong - Freeform, come on who doesn't love bobdong, i love bobdong pranking each other, video illustrations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:49:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27279778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whitesinger/pseuds/Whitesinger
Summary: Bobby is a hopeless idiot and Donghyuk is high strung on romance. The life was so cruel to make him fall in love with his best friend... So the only way left is either fall out of his crush or take some sweet revenge.
Relationships: Kim Donghyuk/Kim Jiwon | Bobby
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hanahaki disease - is an imaginary disease where the person with unrequited love has flowers growing out in his lungs.  
> Argemone mexicana is a species of poppy (https://pics.botanichka.ru/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Argemone-Mexicana.jpg)
> 
> This story is translated from Russian so sorry for any mistakes.
> 
> Оригинал – https://ficbook.net/readfic/9170312

Donghyuk always loved mexican food. Burritos, tacos and other fast food things somewhere at 2 or 4 hours in the morning because in this time they tasted much more delicious. To be honest, it was Bobby who taught him that.

Actually, Bobby gave Donghyuk a lot of things: the habit of always joking in any situation, even the shittiest one; the love for weird but very relatable web comics; the desperate need of embarking such an important in their youth aura of hip-hop and freedom in all their clothes and gestures.

Ah, yes. And sweet bitter flowers in his throat, too.

It just happened to be Bobby's gift, too.

///////

Donghyuk frowns when suddenly all the air from his lungs gets closed off in the middle of their night dance practice. He turns on his side, lying on the floor, and tries to cough it out. Bobby, who fell on top of him with all his body in a childish attempt of wrestling to blow off the stress and tension from exhausting dancing, rolls over and falls next to him with his arms and legs stretching out like a starfish. He is also heavily breathing and giving Donghyuk a confused and even a little bit guilty look - he didn't squeeze that hard for him to start coughing, right?

Donghyuk also doesn't even know what's wrong. Just now everything was all good, even more. The preparation for the performance, night practices, pleasant tiredness in the tense muscles and dumb jokes from his six best friends.

Donghyuk asks for a water and with a surprise he finds a refreshing taste of water somehow bitter.

"That's because Junhoe has spit in the bottle" answers Chanwoo with a evil smile, not even blinking at the loud explosion of objection from their second maknae.

Donghyuk chuckles and stands up from the floor, throwing all unnecessary thoughts from the head, and another round of dancing begins.

However, he can't stop tasting some bitterness in his mouth as if it really was there. But later Donghyuk will get used to it.

The one thing he can't get used to, though, is to Bobby's unpredictability. Just now Donghyuk was soundly sleeping, haunted in his dream by the slightly crooked bunny smile and the warmth spreading all over him - and in the next moment he is ripped away from his dream, air kicked out from the lungs, the dreaming consciousness pierced with the shock and panic _whatwherewho_?! And only hearing the husky rocky cackling, Donghyuk gets a hold on himself and his heart stops trying to break out of his chest.

Bobby attacked him, literally - he fell down on Donghyuk, back first in his unstoppable determination to wake him up. Donghyuk doesn't wear t-shirt or pants, only boxers - because yeah, he is alone in his hotel room and he _doesn't expect any guests_. And he isn't even fully woken up but already strongly blushes because Bobby is pressing too close, being so excited with his successful prank, and through his thin blanket and a semi-conscious mind it feels extremely sharp.

"Aaah, go to hell!"

"Is that how you speak to your hyung?! Go to hell..."

That stupid husky laugh just won't stop ringing in his ears, damn.

But seriously, why the heck he reacts like this, as if Donghyuk doesn't see him almost every day strolling around the dorm naked in his underwear often, despite the protests of all living members?

But Bobby never came to him in the middle of the night before - especially not so bluntly. Usually he always whined and asked for Donghyuk to come to his room instead so he could lie on his bed and be his company at 4AM while Bobby's playing some computer games being all like _I forbid you from leaving me, do u hear me little dirty kid, here, I even stole you snacks from Yunhyeong's kitchen_. And Donghyuk always rolls his eyes and loudly protests but always stays. Sometimes annoying his gaming process, sometimes doing Vlives with fans, sometimes just sitting quietly and looking at too concentrated on the game Jiwon's tensed naked back.

But Bobby himself, to Donghyuk's place, like this - it's the first.

And Donghyuk gets angrier and is blushing even more when he understands that Bobby came to him just to prank him. Plus, (and he realizes it very suddenly with fear) Bobby livestreams his confusion to the hundreds or maybe even thousands mobile phones of their fans.

Donghyuk throws a pillow with all the strength of his emotions at Bobby's shameless head and runs away to the bathroom, trying to calm down his crazily beating heart whole there is no camera pointing at him. The bitter taste in his mouth doesn't go away though, no matter how long he is washing his face and swallowing tap water.

The warmth in his heart, hidden in the chaos of happening events, gives a life to the new sprouts.

***video illustration #1***

**<https://youtu.be/lBYJfrHtMUc> **

  
  


After two weeks Donghyuk makes up an incredibly well thought plan of revenge and with the help of their managers catches up Bobby in the bathroom in his own hotel room.

Shocked face, being red from the hot steam and embarrassment, wet hair with water droplets dripping onto the white fluffy robe that Bobby urgently tries to wrap and tie around himself, as if it isn't a guy who tries to take off his shirt every concert just to show off his well-built abs - so, in general, the look of his friend (enemy at the moment) is just priceless.

"It's illegal! That's a crime!"

"And waking people up at 3am isn't a crime?!"

Donghyuk shakes his head and laughs. The livestream is gonna catch the best frames and he can already imagine how quickly the video and screenshot will spread online and how many comments iKONICs will write after tonight's Vlive. He himself can swear that he will be constantly rewatching this video after tough working days. Just for immediate mood boost.

But even if it was the revenge, it didn't go that successfully because Bobby locked the bathroom door for some reason so Donghyuk only managed to catch him off guard only after one of the bribed managers convinced him to open up.

Maybe the reason is in the hot shower (the steam from the bathroom already filled the bedroom as well) and maybe there was something in their high tensed conflict that they both were enjoying so much, but Donghyuk can also feel his face getting warmer from excitement.

Even one thought that he managed to fool Jiwon into this situation and also film it, gets his heart beating like crazy again. After some running after each other around whole room in some joke hunt, they are now sitting on Bobby's bed but they keep throwing jokes and threats to each other. Of course, not forgetting to reply on fans' comments.

"Kiss please", Donghyuk reads one of the comments and cracks up. "Who should kiss who? I should kiss Bobby, Bobby should kiss me or we should kiss you?"

The words slip out from his mouth easily but there is something new to the existing bitter feeling, something unfamiliar scratching the throat. Donghyuk thinks he made a great joke.

"But for real" He looks at Bobby with the smug eyes, determined to push his buttons. "Maybe I should kiss you as a revenge? That's right! One night I will come to you just like you did to me. And I will kiss you. And you will wake up, open your eyes, and it's me!"

Seems like Bobby lost his voice after that joke. He stares at him wide opened and Donghyuk secretly celebrates.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Finally Bobby spits out and in his voice there is some seriousness and disgust appearing and Donghyuk is taken aback.

Something sharp jabs inside his chest and air left his lungs like he just got hit at the stomach.

"Ah, right, Bobby doesn't like things like these" Donghyuk tries to resolve the tension for the viewers with his awkward smile. But what he doesn't understand is why his mood fell so down after Bobby's words and he felt like puking. No, seriously, he felt hurt and felt like puking.

Donghyuk turns away and coughs. He tries to breath deep in and out to let the oxygen back in lungs so he doesn't notice right away how the yellow petal falls down on the white blanket.

Donghyuk looks at him like he would look at the alien suddenly deciding to appear in this room. And then he understands everything. Even more than that - he feels it.

And his world invisibly shatters and breaks down like a thin glass.

“This is revenge! It didn’t go as I planned today so I have to find another way and try again!” Donghyuk tries his best not to think, not to think, not to think about what’s happening inside of him and why.

Bobby makes a move to crack up another joke, laughing loudly but Donghyuk doesn’t indulge him.

“Even if you go to Osaka, it doesn’t matter! Even if you go to USA, to Australia, even if you hide at the North Pole, whatever, I’ll find you and get my revenge!!!”

Bobby gives him a confused look - because he knows Donghyuk so many years, all too well, because he shouldn’t have been exploding like this, there was no reason. And Donghyuk hates - no, he is so damn scared that Bobby might notice what is he thinking about, might realize that for one second Donghyuk really got hurt because he was rejected about such a dumb thing;

that’s why Donghyuk shoves the phone with ongoing livestream into his hands and breaks out from the suffocating hotel room that smells like Bobby’s musky shampoo and he runs without looking back, he just wants to run away. Somewhere where he could at least breath a little bit, even if it takes him so many efforts.

  
  


***video illustration #2***

[ https://youtu.be/pzrBNXwnVGg ](https://youtu.be/GBe0bbrdDjc)

  
  
  


Later Donghyuk gets to his own room and almost as soon as he steps inside, he falls down in a coughing fit, spitting out on a carpet yellow flower with the spiky leaf and that’s why his throat feels so scratched, so torn - but it’s still much easier to handle than a screwing pain pulsing in his chest right now.

And it doesn’t even seem possible to endure the realisation that his feelings for Bobby, turns out, are not exactly friendly. More on that, they are _unrequited_.

“How?..” Donghyuk breathlessly croaks, staring at the crumpled, wet but beautiful in his own way flower on the floor. The sweet honey aroma hits his nose, and Donghyuk bites his lip.

It seems like his love for his members is so strong that there wasn’t enough space for it in his heart and eventually it burst out free, feeding off just one person.

It seems like Donghyuk got quite unlucky

to fall in love

with Bobby.


	2. Chapter 2

After what happened, the disease is progressing with each new day, faster and faster. Donghyuk is wondering if it's somehow related to the fact that he can't stop thinking about Bobby (either cursing him or secretly hoping for something he can’t quite pinpoint yet)

When Hanbin announces to the group that their way too long ongoing Japan tour has finally finished, everyone breathes out in relief and only Donghyuk holds back the protesting whine. Now he won't have anything to distract himself with, and the guys who surely missed some quality rest will gather together (as usually it goes without saying) every night in the living room to watch movies, and it would be much harder to hide his coughs that only get worse and worse.

That's why Donghyuk immediately calls his mother and tells her that he will go home as soon as they land in Korea. He also asks their manager to drive him to his family's house and drops a message in Kakao Talk for the rest of the members so he won't have to face them.

It's always hard to breathe now when Donghyuk is next to Bobby.

///////

The time Donghyuk spent with his family helped him clear his mind but unfortunately didn't improve his state at all.

"You became so thin, you look like a skeleton" Jinhwan tells him in a somewhat disappointed voice that barely hides his huge worry for the younger. Donghyuk doesn't respond, he just cautiously holds his wrist with fingers, touching it, checking. Being afraid that spiky thorns already pierced through his skin, revealing his secret.

But no. Not yet.

He still has time to live.

So he lies to Jinhwan, he tells him about some extreme diet he's been going through. Jinhwan gives him a suspicious look but says nothing. Donghyuk doesn't care anymore.

He isn’t even scared anymore.

Donghyuk has accepted everything. He looks at Hanbin who smiles so happily – because now, when there's no tight schedule and Donghyuk isn't around, he managed to finally stick to Bobby's side (who doesn't actually mind) and melt into his personal space as close as he could.

And it was always like this, even before he joined the group, Donghyuk has to remind himself. He turns away and looks at two tacos in his hands that he brought with him into the studio.

He leaves them on the table, not saying anything to the two songwriters who don’t even notice his presence. Well, Bobby will always be able to find a free food and Donghyuk doesn't want to eat anything. He has no appetite anyway. For about four months already.

Donghyuk can't really think of a way to deal with the flowers that grow up under his ribs with such a severe hunger. To be honest, he always loved flowers but he wasn't ready to die from them. 

Just like Bobby. Bobby loved Donghyuk as a brother but he surely wouldn't take it further. 

Donghyuk doesn't even need to ask, he knows Bobby completely, he was inspired by him and always wanted to be like him, that's why it would take no time for him to describe Jiwon’s principles on a blank piece of paper.

Bobby doesn't like skinship: he doesn't like touches, kisses and overall finds typical Korean signs of affection uncomfortable. Only Hanbin managed to tame him, bond Bobby to himself, but it was only because their skinship-loving leader is used to breaking through any obstacle in his life and he wouldn't be stopped by anyone, even Bobby himself.

Bobby loves his family more than anything on this planet and he surely would sacrifice his own life for his parents, brother and his nephew if needed. With the same unconditional protection he took Donghyuk under his wing, but as nice as it might feel, that means he would never look at him as a subject of romantic interest.

Bobby is a cool guy; he's a whole volcano of energy on the stage and never disappearing charismatic smile in the dorms. He has a strong unbreakable spirit and an old worn out Winnie the Pooh toy that he can't sleep without. He has a look full of understanding in the eyes, messy socks being left all around the living room and an extra bag of jellies in his pocket prepared specially for Donghyuk.

And Donghyuk... Donghyuk is a hopeless romantic guy; he's a younger partner in crime for any mischievous doings of theirs; he brings tight hugs and a bit of warmth for the members who miss their own families.

Donghyuk chokes on his feelings whenever Jiwon is around and loses weight in unspeakable speed whenever he tries to avoid him - because yellow petals and thorny leaves need something to feed on, after all.

It's because of Bobby that Donghyuk loves Mexican food, and that's exactly the reason why he laughs so crazily when a familiar looking flower of poppy shows up like a tease on a Naver search. 

Argemone mexicana - it’s a plant with the life length of one year. But Donghyuk naively hopes that his flowers will let him live through this winter, at least. And maybe the next one, but statistically it’s impossible. Anyone who doesn’t get their feelings reciprocated – or flowers removed by surgery together with any feelings for the person, won’t survive.

Donghyuk has several months left. That’s if he doesn’t choke on yellow petals in his sleep first.

  
///////

Nobody wants to leave the cozy room in winter but in November another round of Japanese concerts starts, and Donghyuk made a habit of locking up in his hotel room with some wine bottle that he gets from generous Junhoe and Jinhwan who always have some kind of a drinking party wherever they go.

He tries his best not to notice the pitying and confused stares and easily avoids the confrontation. He just finally understood the taste of a good wine and now he loves it, it’s just that. What's wrong, guys?

No, he certainly doesn't drink it because it's easier to live through each day with the help of some alcohol. Insert “sarcasm”.

As people say, wine goes nicely with dandelions, but Donghyuk thinks that it goes well with poppies too. The wine has a bittersweet taste of an upcoming finale.

To be honest, Donghyuk wants to confess so badly. He wants to shout everything that he holds inside, right in Bobby's absolutely clueless face and make him do something with it! Because in some way Donghyuk's feelings are his fault too, and truthfully, it's actually a question who exactly took revenge on whom.

But he also realizes that his confession clearly won't change a single thing. It won't make Jiwon hold his hand, it won't switch a careless fighting interaction to a careful tender attention - and he doesn't even need it like that - and the confession surely won't make Jiwon’s heart beat in a new rhythm. Bobby just isn't that kind of a person, them two - it is a established pair of best-friends-forever, and Donghyuk doesn't want to risk it and turn everything into some awkward exchange of "Have you eaten yet?" murmurs and unsynchronised feelings between them.

  
  


Donghyuk does remember that one night though, when he and Bobby were left together in a studio after another song's recording, and being high on energy drinks and amazing rap verse he just heard Bobby perform, he actually blurted out "I love you". But after that Bobby loudly laughed and for the next thirty minutes or so he pretended to be Donghyuk's girlfriend just because he found it a hilarious reason to start another Vlive livestream for the fans.

Donghyuk probably should've told him that it hurt.

And it was most likely the time when he should've understood that it's a hopeless case, because Donghyuk didn't feel any better.

He curses at the flowers taking the air inside his lungs away and hesitatingly searches for a nearest hospital in his phone.

***video illustration #3***

[ **https://youtu.be/rvC_wDFpad4** ](https://youtu.be/rvC_wDFpad4)

The concert hall is pierced with the sharp silence when someone’s voice is cut off on high notes.

Yunhyeong next to him looks at him in surprise. Donghyuk throws a glance at Hanbin, absolutely terrified. Their leader sends him a comforting smile but his heavy stare drills into him till the very lungs, and Donghyuk is shivering. The breaking of his voice that was caused by another coughing attack that he barely held in, can’t be possibly explained by a random inability to reach the high note or a bit too small amount of air. Hanbin is suspecting some different reason, something that vocalists weren’t preparing for at the practice sessions, and Donghyuk just knows that a serious talk awaits him.

He accidentally looks at Bobby – and chokes on another thorny leaf of _argemone mexicana_ that is trying to escape from his throat.

Donghyuk is forced to miss his next part in the song, as well.

///////

There is only so much wine at the bottom of the bottle, and Donghyuk has no energy even to raise his head from the bed. Crispy fresh hotel pillow barely swallows his fierce coughing but the breaks between attacks aren’t long enough to leave the room.

It’s such a pity that he can’t drown his feelings in the wine. Too bad, that he only has one way out.

There is a short “beep” from the door, and it opens. Donghyuk curls in on himself, waiting to hear the strict voice of Hanbin who obviously wants to get to the reason of his poor performance today.

Instead, he feels like someone’s body presses onto him from above – not falling on him, like before, but slowly lifting down – and again he suffocates either from the body’s weight or the weight of his own feelings.  
  
“What’s up with you?”

Bobby speaks first. He grabs the bottle of wine in his head, drinks it till the end (and probably making an unsatisfied face because he prefers beer) and lies down on Donghyuk’s back, carefully patting his shoulder.  
  
“You ran away after the concert, looking pale like death. Hanbin sent me to you. He and Yunhyeong are extremely worried, you know. I think your diet is way too much now. Jinhwan has been feeding you by force recently, hasn’t he?”

Donghyuk keeps being silent. He closes his eyes and foolishly hopes that Bobby will go away, and all his pressuring questions will go away, and his warmth will also go away because if it stays a little more, he will lose all control.

“Donghyuk-ah? Why, what’s wrong? You can tell your hyung. By the way, Junhoe is sulking, he said he had to share the most of his alcohol with you. If I were you, I wouldn’t try to die so hard cuz this guy will find you even after death for his booze!”

That was probably true, and Donghyuk involuntarily lets out a husky laugh. Excited Bobby relaxes a little and buries his nose in the crook of Donghyuk’s neck.

“Oh, you smell like honey” he murmurs with the sudden smile. “Like my favourite Winnie the Pooh”

Hearing those words, Donghyuk can’t handle it anymore. His heart clenches and his body shakes from a new cough attack that he can’t hold in even when he bites into the pillow and tries so hard.

Because he desperately wants to breath.

Panicking Bobby rolls away from him and grabs his hair, yanking his head up and giving him an access to the air, and Donghyuk resists as much as he can because he wants to throw out, the flowers keep crawling out, scratching his throat and cutting his lips. Crumpled and wet, yellow buds fall onto the crispy white pillow and there’s nothing romantic at all.

Poppies aren’t the flowers of love.

And Donghyuk doesn’t have any chances, either.

///////

Bobby carefully wipes off the tears in the corners of Donghyuk’s eyes with his thumbs. He is afraid to say something because he understands that it’s something serious and he’s not a people person, really.

“You’re an idiot” he groans, dragging skinny guy into the hug and caressing his messy hair. “So that’s why you’re making yourself suffer? Why didn’t you tell us?”

Bobby noticed that something was wrong with the younger long time ago but Donghyuk is a guy who always shares his thoughts with others and if he doesn’t – then you won’t be able to get it out of him even if you try. That’s why he was waiting for him to come around. Yeah. That’s what waiting has done to him.

Donghyuk tries to get a chunk of air, he tries to breaths in, not fully recovered from intensive coughing, and shakes his head. Bobby gives him some water from the bottle on the bed stand and Donghyuk seems better.  
  
“I’m fine”, Donghyuk responses, hiding his eyes. “I’ve already made up my mind. I will go to the doctor for surgery. I just… I just need to tell our manager. Let them cut all of this out. Sorry for today, I didn’t know. Didn’t know that I won’t be able to perform. I was hoping that I would deal with it.”

Bobby smacks his head lightly but he can’t be angry at him. Not when he’s so scared for Donghyuk’s health.

“How did you even end up with… Hanahaki? You and unrequited love? Aren’t you the master of flirting in iKON? I thought you were everyone’s charmer and here you are, not even being able to confess your feelings” he jokes, trying to light up Donghyuk’s gloomy mood and understand what was going on.

Hearing his words, Donghyuk scoffs and closes his eyes. He leans on the wall and hugs his knees.

Few yellow petals fall onto the floor.

“I _am_ able to confess my feelings”, he says finally. “It’s just a recipient I’m unlucky with. He is an idiot and turns everything into a joke.”

Bobby freezes, dumbfounded. He didn’t miss the sarcastic subtext.

“You wanna say that...”

“I don’t want anything. Go to hell, will you?”

"Is that how you speak to your hyung? Go to hell..."

Their dialogue exchange feels natural and easy but now nobody knows what to say next. After a heavy silence Donghyuk pulls himself together and sighs deeply, almost getting another coughing fit.

“Forget it, Jiwon. I told you I’ve already made up my mind.”

“Don’t you dare do the surgery!” Bobby grabs his thin wrist in an unexpectedly rough movement. “No way, they’ll turn you into an emotionless zombie. What are we gonna do without you?!”  
  
“We?” Donghyuk spares him a piercing stare, not trying to snatch away his hand. “So you personally would be fine with it but in no way I am to mess with our group’s dynamics?”

Bobby groans, hitting himself on a forehead.  
  
“You know that’s not what I meant! I meant… well...” He gives up and jumps up, pointing at Donghyuk. “Just don’t go. I will find a way. Just wait for me. And don’t lock your door, Yunhyeong has been worrying for an hour that you didn’t go to the dinner.”

With those words he runs out of his hotel room, throwing the door open, and Donghyuk slides down back under the comforter, hatefully shaking off all the yellow buds and petals to the floor. He doesn’t have any energy left. Right now his head, dizzy from thoughts, can save only a good long sleep.

_You smell like honey. Just wait for me. I will find a way,_ said Jiwon.

Why is it so hard to get rid of his burned down hope, just like it’s hard to get rid of these damn flowers?!


	3. Chapter 3

Donghyuk dreads a lot of questions, an intervention, any deep talk - anything but a usual calm breakfast at the hotel's cafe, filled with yawns and lazy jokes.

He even calms down, relaxes and starts eating his fried rice with vegetables when Bobby storms into the dining room and falls on the seat next to him.

"So! It says here that the easiest cure for this is if the person you love will reciprocate your feelings back. Technically, platonic love is also a love, right? Maybe if I just try a little bit harder, it will work? If I say that I love you, bro? Oops, sorry, without a ‘bro’. What do you think?

Donghyuk drops his chopsticks and looks at Bobby in shock, who is shoving a phone in his face. There's a stunned silence from everyone at their table.

"What the hell?" Hanbin looks at one guy, then the other one, his look undecipherable and sincerely confused.

Junhoe elbows Jinhwan, the mathyung nods in return and shows an amused smile. Chanwoo glances at Bobby and makes a circling motion of the index finger at his temple, suggesting that Bobby has gone completely crazy. Yunhyeong's eyes are wide open, and he shouts, amazed:

"Donghyuk? Into Bobby? Seriously?"

Donghyuk blushes and tries to cover his quickly reddening ears after shoving Bobby away from himself. He'd never thought that while trying to help him, Bobby would do something like this. Tactless idiot.

"Yunhyeong, you knew?" Hanbin still doesn't take his eyes away from both of them, as if still deciding whether to comfort them or to punish them.

"Kinda, yeah, I saw few yellow petals yesterday when I brought Donghyuk some food" Yunhyeong nods. "But I didn't even suspect..."

"Same, man!" Bobby jumps into the conversation, and Donghyuk has enough. He smacks him on the back of his head.

"I can't stand you! Damn, hyung! Don't ever come up to me again, and... And shove that ‘bro’ up your ass!"

He jumps up and leaves as quickly as he can, and as far away from his ridiculous crush and his unpredictable behavior as possible.

"Hey, you promised to follow me till the North Pole!" Bobby shouts at his back. "Even if I go to USA! Why are you running away?"

"Gosh, Bobby, just shut up" Hanbin threatens him, worryingly looking at Donghyuk who kicked the door open and left the dining room with a clear look of hurt on his face. "I can't believe what you just did."

"You should show Jiwon some of your romantic collection movies", Jinhwan gives an advice, rubbing his chin and thinking. "Some people are just way too dumb to do the right thing."

Junhoe scoffs and rolls his eyes, pretending he didn't notice a pointed look Jinhwan gave him after his words. Yunhyeong shakes his head, still worried.

Nobody says a word, and then Chanwoo suddenly laughs, getting everyone's confused looks. He shrugs his shoulders.

"Shove your 'bro' up your ass... Well, that line definitely has a second meaning!"

///////

Donghyuk's mood doesn't get any better, even if they arrive back to Korea. He is sitting in his studio at 3am, trying to pour all his emotions into songs.

While he still has something to pour.

Manager told him that the doctor will be able to see him on Monday. After the initial visit, they will schedule a surgery for removing flowers out of his lungs. So in a week Donghyuk will get rid of his honey poppies, as well as of any feelings towards Bobby whatsoever. He'll feel nothing, as if they barely know each other. It won’t hurt anymore. And he’d be able to breath again.

This will break their group's dynamic, surely, but it's better than if iKON lose him and be left as six mourning his loss. Their leader would’ve agreed with his decision.

Donghyuk takes a deep rough breath in and deletes the last bit of recording from the audio track, intending to record this part once more.

The door behind him silently opens but he doesn’t notice. Donghyuk puts all of his emotions into this try, and even ruthless thorns of his flowers don't dare to interrupt his singing.

After twenty minutes he slides off his earphones and throws them on the table. Turns around and almost jumps, seeing Bobby lying on the sofa in the corner of the studio. His fist supports his head, and he stares at Donghyuk without making any noise. Not even Vlive turned on just to prank him again or have fun.

"And why do you stare at me like some creep?" jokingly asks Donghyuk, playing with the rings on his fingers and feeling awkward.

"I'm watching." Jiwon answers in all his honesty and simplicity. "All over again. Who you are."

Seeing how Donghyuk doesn't understand and tilts his head in confusion, he smiles and clarifies:

"You’re friendly. Hardworking. Funny, always on the same page with me. Extremely romantic and terrifyingly caring. Always smelling of something honey sweet. Your eyes are pretty and your laugh is contagious. I'm trying to look at you as if I don't know you at all. Maybe I've missed something during all these years of our brotherhood and friendship. Turns out, there's a lot of things in you that someone could fall in love with.

Donghyuk feels his ears and cheeks going red again. Nervously, he fidgets with the t-shirt near his heart, feeling argemone's petals trembling inside of him.

"Leave it... I told you, you don't have to."

"Why not?" Bobby appears next to him, right when Donghyuk turns away. He towers above him, emitting warmth and musky shampoo aroma. Donghyuk swallows and presses both palms into his eyelids, trying hard not to concentrate on how close Bobby is behind him right now.

"Because I can't make you return my feelings" he whispers, unwillingly leaning into Bobby. "I know I'm a damn fool for getting myself into this trap."

"Oh, boy" Bobby lets out a sigh and tenderly pats his messy hair. "Sorry for that awful scene I made in the hotel in Japan. I didn't realize what you were going through. But I also meant it when I said I can truly try it. I have been thinking and watching - and I think, it shouldn't be too hard."

"What, you think it's as easy as to just call yourself my girlfriend?" Donghyuk jabs at him with sarcastic words, abruptly putting down his arms and looking up at Bobby. The man winces at the sound of Donghyuk’s bracelets clanging on the table.

"I said I'm apologizing! I admit, I was a terrible idiot." He puts his palms together and begs. "You got your revenge, that's it, you're the winner. I suggest new start. Burrito on me as a sign of my apology."

"Two burritos" Donghyuk concludes after hesitating for few seconds. "One as a sign of your apology, and another one as a gesture of courting".

"What a hopelessly romantic guy" Bobby chuckles with relief and grins. He caresses his shoulder in an unusually careful and warm way, and Donghyuk is thankful to him because his fear of inevitable future slowly starts to fade out.

///////

They spend the rest of the weekend together, getting used to the same activities with the newfound awkwardness and tenderness. On Monday Donghyuk still goes to see the doctor but after getting x-ray he's told that the thorny flowers that grew up in his lungs show first signs of withering. No surgery is needed if everything keeps going this way.

At three in the morning Donghyuk storms into the room where Bobby sleeps, falls onto him without a warning, pulls away his blanket and kisses him. Surprised sleepy Jiwon just opens and closes his mouth with no words, seeing in front of him an incredibly satisfied grinning Donghyuk pointing the phone camera at him.

"Wyd..??" Finally being able to let some words out, he wiggles under the blanket and Donghyuk rolls off him, laughing like crazy.

"I just thought it would be truly dumb to waste such a great idea for a revenge. Now we're definitely even".

"You brat..." Without any heartfelt grunge Jiwon scoffs, smiles and pulls Donghyuk closer to himself with one arm. He nods at the phone. "Vlive?"

Donghyuk shakes his head.

"Don't be an idiot, they would kill us for a livestream like this. It's just for me, for the memories"

"Mmm" Not even finishing listening, Jiwon leans in and interrupts him with the kiss – this time more thorough, deep and long.

Ironically, but Donghyuk feels like it gets easier to breath with every second.

After a while, Jiwon remembers something and starts roaming under the blanket for no reason. Donghyuk pulls away, confused, and then laughs when he pulls out his worn out plush Winnie the Pooh with a triumphal look on his face. Jiwon puts the toy between him and Donghyuk and hugs both of them.

"Perfect." he sighs out in content. "Good night".

Donghyuk smiles and gives a tight hug to him back.

Bobby and he definitely make out quite a silly pairing, but that's okay.

Turns out, the argemone poppies could be somewhat romantic flowers too, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Go watch BobDong vlives, they're hilarious!
> 
> I hope iKONICs who fancy this bromance pairing too exist, lol.


End file.
